January 7.cwk

Airwaves: January 7, 2011

K-DAY Sale

Magic Broadcasting has sold the 93.5 FM simulcast duo KDAY/Los Angeles and KDAE/Ontario to a new company called SoCal935 for $35 million, or about $85 million less than Magic paid six years ago. Any plans for format changes? Perhaps, but the current R&B oldies format is about the highest-rated format the stations have seen in, well, ever, so right now nothing is anticipated.

Can We Talk?

Some minor shuffling going on at two local talkers.

KFI (640 AM) is expanding Bill Carroll’s program by one hour, so that he can now be heard noon-3 PM weekdays. John and Ken will thus lose an hour, going back to their traditional 3-7 PM shift they had until Dr. Laura left for KFWB (980 AM) in late 2009. Unrelated but still news: Frost (formerly Frosty) Stilwell is now the permanent host of the Sunday 4-7 PM shift.

And of course the previously-announced changes at KFWB hit on December 3rd as Dr. Laura Schlessenger left terrestrial radio for satellite. Dave Ramsey is now live 11 AM to 2 PM, followed by life coach Les Brown from 2 to 4 PM.

Speaking of Carroll, I never did do a followup story on him after he arrived at KFI almost a year ago. At that time I lamented that his early shows lacked substance; now I am a fan.

What changed my mind? Mornings. He is absolutely hilarious when he fills in or guests on Bill Handel’s morning show, and once I heard him open up there I gave his regular show another chance. Now I find him interesting with a decently thorough look at issues backed by a wickedly understated sense of humor.

Hey, Guy!

I heard David Vassegh on the Bruin post-game show on KLAC (570 AM) last week while returning from a UCLA basketball game at Pauley Pavilion. This is the first time I paid much attention to the show.

Much of the time I listened he spent putting down a caller for calling him “guy” (which until I heard this didn’t realize it was an insult). I’m serious ... besides placing the caller on hold as punishment for the infraction, he made mention of it for at least ten minutes as he took other calls.

Very full of himself despite the fact that only if he worked r-e-a-l-l-y hard, he might improve to the level of the student broadcasters I worked with at KLA, UCLA’s former student-run AM and cable FM station. KLAC should do better; UCLA should demand it.

New Year Wishes

Few predictions but many more wishes arrived in the email bag:

“More stations like The Sound (100.3 FM). I had given up on FM radio, until I put on 100.3 and heard Low Spark of the High Heeled Boys by Traffic ... the entire eleven minutes including the slow, quiet fade-in at the beginning. Maybe there’s hope.” -- Michael Elliot

“My wish is for (former digital TV’s) Kings Rock LA to come to local radio. The selection of oldies they played was so much better than the oldies on KRTH (101.1 FM)” -- Mary Grake

“Someone should buy 930 AM and bring back in some form 93/KHJ. The calls are there, just ready to be re-launched. That could really liven up the dull AM band.” -- Bill Earl

“Bring Doug McIntyre back to the morning show!” -- Marc Mathew’s Mom

“Please return Sean Parr to the morning slot on Go Country 105. I miss waking up with him.” -- Dulcie McCracken, Long Beach

“A lot more Doug McIntyre and considerably less Bill Handel. I have really enjoyed Bill Carroll filling in for Handel, but Doug is always my first choice. I’m going to keep chanting ... more Doug, more Doug, more Doug ... until someone hears and takes action!” -- Stephanie Davis, Signal Hill

“I’d like The Sound to actually play ‘B’ sides and not be cookie-cutter. I dare them to be different. I challenge them to go out on a limb. Go into the deep end of the pool. Throw the recipes away! Get rid of the water wings. Bite the hand that feeds you ... but none of that will happen, so I predict the same bag of crumbs for 2011, 2012, 2013 ...” -- Neil Proffitt, Redondo Beach

“More variety in talk radio ... more or any of Neal Boortz, Michael Savage, Ann Coulter, or Laura Ingraham ... people who do their homework and make issues exciting!” -- Virginia Johnson, South Gate

Your thoughts?
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